CONWAY, Ark. - At the 2026 NCAA Convention, all three divisions voted to approve STUNT becoming an NCAA championship sport, with its first NCAA championship projected for spring 2027.
 
STUNT's growth has been rapid across the NCAA, crossing the benchmark of 40 schools meeting minimum contest and participant requirements in its first year as an emerging sport in all three divisions. It joined the Emerging Sports for Women program in 2023 in Divisions I and II, while Division III added it in 2024.  
 
"I have had the privilege of watching this sport gain support from the NCAA. From early proposals, to its establishment as an emerging sport, to the recommendation for championship status, and now official approval of STUNT advancing to NCAA Championship status," Head coach Chloe Moxley said of the announcement. "Through its own journey through the ebbs and flows, I have witnessed years of persistence and hard work finally come to fruition."
 
STUNT transforms traditional cheerleading skills into a head-to-head, four-quarter format emphasizing athleticism and precision. Teams compete in partner stunts, pyramids, and jumps and tumbling, with points awarded based on execution. All three divisions sponsoring and approving legislation allows for creation of a National Collegiate Championship, where STUNT student-athletes from all divisions will compete for one championship.  
 
STUNT and acrobatics and tumbling join the following sports that have earned NCAA championship status through the Emerging Sports for Women program: rowing (1996), ice hockey (2000), water polo (2000), bowling (2003), beach volleyball (2015) and wrestling (2025). 
 
"STUNT has given me more than I could ever ask for, from invaluable athletic experiences to my current role as a collegiate head coach. To its core, STUNT is about providing opportunities for women in sports, and for the past five years, it has done exactly that for me," Moxley added. "I am deeply grateful for the opportunities this sport continues to provide and for the chance to remain part of something so special."